Safe Route to Canelo? Fans See Hamzah Sheeraz Vs. Simon Zachenhuber Fight as a Defense
The backlash centered on Zachenhuber’s details. While the German bounced back from his upset loss against Pawel August by stopping Armin Ajrulai on June 27, fans aren’t buying that a quick win guarantees a world title shot. To make things even more complicated, August is booked on the same July 25 card against Jacob Bank, meaning the winner of the head-to-head meeting is stuck in a non-title fight while the loser gets a belt crack.
The criticism got worse because Canelo Alvarez had previously told Sheeraz to fight the IBF champion Osleys Iglesias before calling him. Sheeraz has rejected that advice, making it clear that he will not let the Mexican star dictate his path.
“I respect him [Canelo], but I don’t respect him until he tells me who to fight before I fight him,” Sheeraz told talkSPORT Boxing. “If the fight doesn’t happen, I won’t bother doing well. I won’t worry at all. But if it does, it’s a bonus for me.”
That cynical attitude fuels skepticism about this encounter. Fans point out that if Sheeraz is confident enough to dismiss Canelo’s goals, he should back it up by taking on a serious threat like Iglesias rather than defending his belt against an opponent like Zachenhuber, who is not winning anything of note.
Many boxing fans see this matchup as a calculated move to keep Sheeraz undefeated and secure his status as a future cash cow contender for Canelo Alvarez. As the British champion has been calling out to Canelo, risking his unblemished record against a dangerous opponent in his first defense makes little business sense when a big payday is on the line.
The backlash highlights the shallow depth of the current 168-pound world. With the exception of Canelo Alvarez and a few top names like Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga, the super middleweight division has declined significantly. This lack of elite depth makes it easy for competitors with thin records to find themselves ranked in the top 10 of the judging organization.
Sheeraz now has a chance to prove the critics wrong. A good performance would silence the criticism, but many fans are already looking at his first title defense as a carefully managed step towards a bigger payday against Canelo than the toughest fight there is.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri responded directly to X, defending the organization’s position on Sheeraz against Zachenhuber in the title defense:
Sir, Sheeraz has the right to voluntarily release his defense as per WBO rules. Team Sheeraz SELECTED Zachenhuber, who currently holds a record of 29-1-0 (18 KO’s). In addition, the latter satisfies the basic criteria of land valuation considerations. See, the ABC Index…
– Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. (@OlivieriLaw) July 13, 2026
Olivieri’s explanation did little to satisfy critics, many of whom argued that meeting the minimum requirements for a world ranking is not the same as being eligible for a shot.
